参加
to take part in; to participate; to attend
cānjiā
What does 参加 mean?
参加 (cānjiā) means 'to take part in / participate in / attend' an organized event or group. It is the default verb for joining anything from a meeting (参加会议) to a wedding (参加婚礼), a competition (参加比赛), an exam (参加考试), or a club (参加俱乐部). Two differences from English: first, 参加 always requires a direct object — you cannot just say 我参加 alone; you must say what you are participating in; second, English speakers often default to 'go to' (去) for events, but Chinese strongly prefers 参加 when participation rather than mere presence is the point.
去 means 'go there'; 参加 means 'be an active participant.' For things like attending a concert as audience, 去 is fine; for joining as a contestant, performer, attendee with a role — 参加.
Character breakdown
to participate; to join; to consult
to add; to join
Memory hook: 参 (join) + 加 (add) — to add yourself to something.
Example sentences
明天我要参加一个会议。
Míngtiān wǒ yào cānjiā yí ge huìyì.
Tomorrow I have to attend a meeting.
neutral
你参加这次比赛吗？
Nǐ cānjiā zhè cì bǐsài ma?
Are you taking part in this competition?
spoken
很多同学都参加了那个活动。
Hěn duō tóngxué dōu cānjiā le nà ge huódòng.
Many classmates took part in that event.
neutral
他下个月去北京参加考试。
Tā xià ge yuè qù Běijīng cānjiā kǎoshì.
He's going to Beijing next month to take the exam.
neutral
Common phrases with 参加
Synonyms
加入 emphasizes becoming a member of a group or organization: 加入俱乐部 (join a club), 加入公司 (join a company). 参加 covers one-time events too — you 参加 a meeting, you 加入 a company permanently.
出席 is formal — 'to be present at / attend' an official function. 出席会议 (formally attend a meeting) reads like a news report; 参加会议 is what you say in conversation.
Don't confuse 参加 with
参观 means 'to visit (a place / institution)' — a museum, factory, school. You 参观 to look around as a visitor; you 参加 to participate. Same first character but very different actions.
加 alone means 'to add' (in math, ingredients, etc.). 参加 is specifically 'to join in,' not arithmetic. 加一点儿盐 (add a little salt) vs 参加会议 (attend a meeting).